Carpet treatment



3, 1941. k. E. BUFFJ 2 266,846

CARPET TREATMENT Filed Feb. 19, 1940 H n I n IJ S2 Ll.

. In H] INV EN TOR.

BY KARL E.B%FF:

f ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 23, 1941 2,266,846 CARPET TREATMENT Karl E.Buff, Detroit, Mich., assignor to National Automotive Fibres, Inc.,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 19, 1940,Serial No. 319,755

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to carpet treatment and more particularlyto a method of deforming a carpet to a desired shape.

In the manufacture of motor vehicles it is now common practice toprovide carpeting for the floors of both the front and rearcompartments. In some vehicles'the floor is not flat, with the resultthat the carpet applied thereto must be shaped to conform toirregularities in the floor. A familiar instance is in the case ofvehicles having a raised housing projecting rearwardly through thecompartment to receive the propeller shaft. Furthermore, in some casesthese projections are curved in three dimensions with the result that itis desirable to initially deform the carpet to correspond to the floor.

According to the present invention I deform the carpet to correspond tothe contour of the floor to which they are applied and preferably givethem a more or less permanent set. In other words the carpet ispermanently stretched as necessary to cause it to take the desiredconfiguration, and furthermore it is treated withsuitable stiffeningmaterials so that it tends strongly to retain its deformed shape.

'Briefiy described, the method comprises coating the rear of the carpetwith an aqueous cement adapted to stiffen or harden on setting.Preferably a thermo-setting cement is employed. The carpet is thensubjected to an initial forming operation which forms it to anintermediate stage and at the same time it is subjected to temperaturesabove the boiling point of water. Since the cement employed is anaqueous cement this vaporizes the water therein and releases it in theform of steam. At this time preferably the carpet is confined or atleast partly confined with the result that the steam acts on the carpetand conditions the same for further stretching or forming.

It is accordingly an object of the present inabsorbent material over thecement to absorb some of the water therefrom and to immobilize thecement.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent as the descriptionproceeds, and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwherein I Figure 1 is a front; elevation of the press employed in thepresent method;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the press employed in the presentmethod; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating a deformed carpet.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2 I employ in the present method apress comprising a frame I supporting a bedplate 2 having a recess 3therein in the shape of the desired carpet formation. Vertically movableon the frame I is a carrier frame 4 actuated by a suitable power meanssuch for example as an air cylinder 5 suspended from a crosspiece 6carried by the frame I. The carvention to provide a novel method forperma-- nently deforming a carpet.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a novelmethod for deforming and stiffening carpets characterized in part by useof an aqueous, thermo-setting cement and in the application of heatduring the forming process sufiicient to release steam from the cementto steam the carpet.

It is a further object of the present invention to. provide a novelmethod of permanently deforming and setting carpets which includes thestep of applying an aqueous cement to the back of the carpet andthereafter applying a sheet of rier frame 4 is herein illustrated asprovided with suitable rolls 1 adapted to move in a correspondinglyformed track 8 carried on the frame I. The carrier frame 4 carries aforming projection 9 adapted to cooperate with the recess 3 of thebedplate 2 previously referred to and adapted to form the carpet intothe recess 3 so as to give it the desired deformation. Laterally spacedfrom the recess 3 the bedplate 2 presents generally smooth surfaces 10upon which the carpet initially rests. The carrier frame 4 is providedwith relatively movable blocks -II carried by means of rods I2projecting upwardly through the carrier frame 4. Compression springs I3surround the rods I2 and are seated between the carrier frame 4 and anut I4 carried by the rod I2. Preferably the springs I3 are receivedwithin suitable housings indicated at I5.

The forming projection 9 previously referrred to is rigidly secured tothe carrier frame 4 in any desired manner.

It is very important that the carpet be guided smoothly into the recess3, because any wrinkles or folds appearing as a result of the formingoperation are more or less permanently set into the like. Temperaturesemployed are above the boiling point of water in order to vaporize theaqueous cement as previously mentioned but are, of course, low enough sothat no injury to the carpet results.

In order to deform the carpet an aqueous cement is applied liberally tothe rear surface of the carpet at the areas to which a permanentdeformation is to be imparted. This cement may be a latex or vulcanizingrubber cement, 'a resin such as a urea. resin, phenol or furfuralformaldehyde, or the like, in an aqueous carrier. In some cases othercarriers than aqueous may be employed, although aqueous carriers arepreferred for the reason that these are cheap and vaporize readily, thussteaming the carpet. After the application of the cement the carpet maybe allowed to air dry or may be dried in an oven for a period suflicientto immobilize the cement. the period however being insufiicient tocompletely dry the cement.

As an alternative and in some ways preferred method, a ply of absorbentmaterial such for example as absorbent paper, preferably crepe, may beapplied to the cement coated surface immediately after application ofthe cement. -By employing a crepe paper, rupture thereof during formingis avoided. This absorbent'material absorbs a portion of the water fromthe cement and immobilizes the cement. At the same time the waterabsorbed from the cement is retained in the absorbent material for thetime being and is later released as steam to effect the steamingoperation of the carpet. The ply of absorbent material remains as a partof the finished article.

In either case the carpet, after the cement has been immobilized, isplaced over the bedplate 2 and the carrier frame 4 is moved downwardly.Downward movement of the carrier frame is arrested before completedeformation of the carpet. Downward movement of the carrier 'is arrestedonly after the heated projection 9 has contacted the cement or the paperover the cement when such is used. If desired, the carpet may be partlydeformed, or it may be in substantially unshaped condition at this time.Attention is directed to the fact that at this time the carpet andcement are confined, members 9 and II contacting its upper surface; andbedplate 2 supporting its edges. As previously stated, downward movementof the carrier is arrested at this time and the parts are retained inthis position for a substantial interval. The elements of the die,either the recess 3 or the projection 9, or both, are held above theboiling point of water and at this time the moisture or water isvaporized. In the event that an absorbent sheeting has been employed,the moisture which was absorbed by this is also released in the form ofsteam. As will be evident, the carpet is substantially confined at thistime with the result that the steam thus released permeates the carpetand conditions the same for further deformation. Without this steamingof the carpet, certain operations cannot be performed without injury tothe carpet. When, however, the carpet is firstpartly deformed and isthen subjected to steam, the fibers thereof are conditioned forstretching and the interval will of course depend upon the nature ofaccelerators employed as well as the nature of the cement, but theoperation may normally be complete within a very few minutes.

I have referred herein to the material applied to the carpet as acement, but it is obvious of course that it is not employed as anadhesive for adhering the carpet to another surface. Instead itsfunction is multiple. In the first place it serves to stiffen the carpetand to cause the carpet to retain the shape to which it is deformed. Itserves an additional function in acting to prevent recovery of thecarpet from the amount of deformation. The second function is distinctfrom the first and is of considerable importance. Without the cement,the carpet after release from the press would recover from its stretchedcondition, and would be flexible and substantially formless. Where thecement is employed, elastic recovery from deformation is materiallyretarded, and the final product is quite stiff and has body due to thepresence of the cement. The cement also performs thefunction previouslyelaborated of releasing vapor to facilitate deformation of the carpet.

The final product may have any one of many desired shapes, but in Figure3 I have illustrated a carpet 20 having cylindrically formed portions2|, 22 and 23 connected by tapered sections 24 and 25. As will beevident, this typical formation requires an actual stretchingof thecarpet in addition to the simple forming operation.

While I have described a specific embodiment of my invention it will beunderstood that this has been done merely to enable those skilled in theart to practice the same and is not intended to limit the invention thescope of which is indicated by the following claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. The method of imparting a permanent deformation to a carpet whichcomprises applying an aqueous cement to the back of said carpet, placingsaid carpet in a forming press, partly closing said press to confine thecarpet and cement, subjecting the cement to temperatures above 212 F. tovaporize the water and steam the carpet, completely closing the press,thus shaping the carpet to the desired form, and continuing theapplication of heat to set the cement.

2. The method of imparting a permanent deformation to a carpet whichcomprises applying an aqueous cement to the back of said carpet, dryingthe cement sufliciently to immobilize but not to completely dry thesame, placing said carpet in a forming press, partly closing said pressto confine the carpet and cement, subjecting the cement to temperaturesabove 212 F. to vaporize the water and steam the carpet, completelyclosing the press, thus shaping the carpet to the complete deformingoperation may be performed desired form, and continuing the applicationof heat to set the cement.

3. The method of imparting a permanent deformation to a carpet whichcomprises applying an aqueous cement to the back of said carpet,applying an absorbent sheet material over the cement to absorb moisturetherefrom to immobilize said cement, placing said carpet in a formingpress, partly closing said press to provide a preliminary formation ofthe carpet and to confine the carpet and cement, subjecting the cementto temperatures above 212 F. to vaporize the water and steam the carpet,completely closing the press, thus shaping the carpet to the'desiredform, and continuing the application of heat to set the cement.

formation to a carpet which comprises applying an aqueous,thermal-curing cement to the back of said carpet, applying an absorbentsheeting over said cement to absorb some moisture therefrom and toimmobilize the cement, subjecting the carpet to temperatures above theboiling point of water while at least partly confining said carpet tosteam said carpet, and then shaping said carpet under pressure atelevated temperatures for a period suflicient to set said cement.

5. The method of imparting a permanent deformation to a carpet whichcomprises applying an aqueous, thermal-curing cement to the back of saidcarpet, applying an absorbent creped paper over said cement to absorbsome moisture therefrom and to immobilize the cement, subjecting thecarpet to temperatures above the boiling point of water while at leastpartly confining said carpet to steam said carpet, and then shaping saidcarpet under pressure at elevated temperatures for a period sufilcientto set said cement.

6. The method of imparting a permanent deformation to a carpet whichcomprises applying an aqueous, thermal-curing cement to the back of saidcarpet, applying an absorbent sheeting over said cement to absorb somemoisture therefrom and to immobilize the cement, partly confining saidcarpet and preliminarily shaping the

